Sophie Crane will be looking for her first senior national title when the senior all-around competition at the 2018 Canadian Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics concludes today at the Richmond Olympic Oval.
The Toronto native, who was recently crowned the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion in clubs, had the highest score in every apparatus except hoop at the end of Competition A, and sits on top of the standings with a total score of 60.250.
Ontario teammate Katherine Uchida, who was the silver medallist in the all-around competition at the Commonwealth Games, sits in second with 58.200 points, while Carmen Whelan (Aurora, ON), the 2017 Canadian senior all-around champion, sits in third with a total of 53.850 points.
Those points will carry over to the all-around competition, or Competition B, on Sunday, but it will be a clean slate for the apparatus finals meaning it’s anyone’s chance to claim those titles.
Crane was crowned the 2018 Elite Canada all-around champion back in February, but neither Uchida nor Whelan competed at the Elite Canada competition due to injury, so the competition for the senior titles is much fiercer at this time.
Mississauga’s Natalie Garcia – fresh off her successful performances at the Junior Pan American and Pacific Rim Championships, sits on top of the junior all-around standings with a total score of 56.700, while the 2017 Canadian junior all-around champion Michel Vivier (Toronto) is nipping at her heels for the title with a score of 53.200. In third is Montreal’s Elizabeth Savchenko with 49.300 points.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Garcia following the competition when asked how she feels going into the finals tomorrow. “Anything can happen because it’s another day, but I’m focussed and ready for tomorrow. I worked really hard coming into this competition and I just tried to stay focussed and to stay positive and to take one thing at a time.”
Ontario athletes dominated the novice competition which wrapped up Saturday with Adel Karasik from Ritmika Rhythmic Gymnastics Club taking the all-around title, and Trillium Rhythmic athletes Emily Huseynov and Emili Ribakov taking silver and bronze respectively.
